Creating a replacement section of skirting board - can't find size off-the-shelf

I've redecorated a room and thrown out an old electric fire that was against the wall. The base of the fire was thick wood and the skirting board had been removed so the fire could press flush to the wall. So I'm left with about a metre of missing skirting board with a zig-zag cutout at each end where the fire used to be.

I walked around B&Q and had a look at their skirting but none were the same. I've had a look on the web and I think what I have is "Chamfered Bullnosed Skirting" according to

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is 15-17mm thick (hard to tell exactly because of the paint) 95mm high. The chamfer starts 70mm from the bottom, and the horizontal bit at the top is 5-6mm.

Looking around the house I see there are other places where there are bits of missing skirting board and I'm considering whether it's worth the time and effort doing the job myself. Especially if it's going to involve fiddly sizes and if the skirting is not available off the shelf.

However woodwork is not something I've done much off and I'm not sure where to start. Leafing through my DIY books I see mentions of mitres and tenon saws and such. Although my books mention skirting boards, they only mention it from the point of view of replacement, whereas I'm wondering how I'd cut a bit of wood to create the replacement in the first place. Is that what a router does? Since there are no complicated curvy bits to the chamfer (I even thought of using my jigsaw at an angle and putting a block of wood in the workbench) I'm thinking I might give it a go.

On the other hand, if I could find a local timber merchant (just moved into the area so still finding the local outlets) and told them the dimensions would they be likely to cut a piece to size?

Still not sure how I'm going to proceed with this. Any thoughts/advice welcome.

Dougie

Reply to
Dougie Nisbet
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The message from Dougie Nisbet contains these words:

Take them a section, or cut a cardboard template and take them that. A good woodyard should be able to match it easily.

Reply to
Guy King

With a bit of skill you can create bull nose skirting with just a plane. It would be easiest to replace the entire piece rather than patch the existing. Being across a fireplace, it will be mitred at each end. Try and find a piece of timber with exactly the same thickness as the original - perhaps from a reclaim yard if it's old. The height doesn't matter so much as it can be cut down.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Are you sure B&Q "dual pattern skirt 15x96mm" (about a tenner for 4 x 2.4m) won't suit? Looks exactly like some of mine for which the aforementioned will do v well. Obviously the pattern differs on each side so the profile isn't exactly like the one you linked to.

Reply to
rrh

I would just get a length of 4"x1" planed timber - which will be almost the right size, but rectangular in cross-section - and remove some material with a plane in order to produce the required chamfer. A power plane would be best - but you could do short lengths with a hand plane if necessary.

Reply to
Roger Mills

This is summising the skirting is the same in all rooms?

Replace the skirting in the smallest room with todays type and use the old skirting to replace the bits that are missing in other rooms. :-)

Reply to
The3rd Earl Of Derby

What an outstandingly good idea! Lateral thinking at it's best!

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

That's if the plaster behind doesn't collapse and you can get the fixings out etc. Not a good idea to patch skirting IME. Replacing the whole section with something close is less obvious than trying to insert a bit of the same profile. I would have thought a timber merchant will have at least 3 chamfered skirtings to choose from

Reply to
Stuart Noble

You must be going about it the wrong way then?

The secret is to find the nails and using a nail punch&hammer,hammer the nails right through the skirting, with a stanley knife score the wall at the top of the skirting all the way along and the skirting should then fall away from wall.

Your not very good at this are you.

They might but the thickness and height are not always the same as a period house. :-)

Reply to
The3rd Earl Of Derby

They tend to stock mouldings to suit the local housing stock. How many variations can there be on a chamfered skirting?

Reply to
Stuart Noble

Secret my arse. Quicker to re-plaster behind the skirting than bugger about trying to punch 4" cut nails

Reply to
Stuart Noble

Sometimes this would take a major effort... you can usually pull the stuff so that the heads pull through if you can't punch them.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

What a splendid idea! Infact, thanks to everyone for all the useful responses. I've got a few ideas now and feel quite encouraged.

First I'll rip up the skirting board that's around the bath and use that to patch the bit I want to do in the short term (carpet is being fitted next week and so time is short). Then I'll see what's left in the bathroom (which is getting redone at some point anyway) and see if I can salvage what's there to repair the other bits that are missing in the bedroom. Or I might just scrap the bedroom skirting and start again. But your idea, so blindingly obvious that I'm going to pretend to people I thought of it :-) solves my short term problem.

cheers,

Dougie

Reply to
Dougie Nisbet

But your idea, so blindingly obvious that I'm going

My solicitor will be in touch. ;-)

Reply to
The3rd Earl Of Derby

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